Method of making rubber footwear



A. A. GLIDDE N, T. E. LAFAYETTE, AND J. J. GAUGHAN.

METHOD OF MAKING RUBBER FOOTWEAR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I7, I92].

Patented Nov. 14, 1922.

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1,435,636. Patented Nov. 14, 1922.

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Patented Nov. 14, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED A. GLIDDEN, OF VVATERTOWN, THEODORE E. LA FAYETTE, 0F WELLESLEY,AND JOHN J. GAUGI-IAN, OF CAMBRIT)Grill, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TOHOOD RUBBER COMPANY, OF WATERTOW'N, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OFMASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF MAKING RUBBER FOOTWEAR.

Original application filed December 30, 1920, Serial No. 434,042.Divided and this application filed June 17, 1921. Serial No. 478,380.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that we, ALFRED A- GLIDDEN,

Tnnononn E. LA FAYETTE, and JOHN J. GAUGHAN, citizens of the UnitedStates, and residents of )Vatertown, Massachusetts, WVellesley,Massachusetts, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, respectively, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making RubberFootwear, of which the. following is a specification, this applicationbeing a division of an application filed by us-on the 30th day ofDecember, 1920, Serial No. 434,042.

Our present invention relates to improvements in rubber footwear andaims to pro vide a method which will simplify the construction andreduce the number of parts thereby effecting a saving of merchandise andthe labor required in the makingof the article, which will produce anarticle of great-flexibility and elasticity whereby overshoes embodyingour invention will have a greater range of adaptability to shoes ofdifferent sizes, enabling the manufacture of half sizes and many widthsto be eliminated, and which article will not be liable to open up andleak at the edge of the sole.

We have in the present application selected the foot-hold type ofovershoe to illustrate an embodiment of our invention although it willbe understood that we do not limit ourselves in this respect, the mainfeatures of the invention being applicable to any type or style ofrubber footwear.

In foot-holds as heretofore manufactured it has been customary to buildthese up on a last from a considerable number of pieces. These includethe following parts, (1) an upper lining, (2) a gum upper or covering,(3) an insole stay, (4) a heel piece or strap, (5) a toe piece or tip,(6) an outsole stay, (7) a sole filler, (8) an insole and (9) an outersole. These are applied successively by hand and rolled down by asqueegee or pressing roller, the usual method being to place the insoleon the last bottom, stretch the lining snugly over the last and secureits edges adhesively to the insole, apply the filler, coat the liningwith a rubber cement and then apply the gum upper or covering,whereafter the out-sole, toe, tip and strap are individually applied,the parts as they are successively applied being rolled down or pressedtogether and against the last by a hand roller to secure firm adherenceand a smooth exterior surface. This requires a large number of distinctoperations and the use of parts which it is one of the objects of thepresentinvention to materially reduce. Furthermore, in such a shoe allthe parts join at or near the edges of the sole in a distinct cornerwhich must accurately fit the sole of the shoe upon which the overshoeis worn, therefore elasticity or stretchability in the soles of, suchovershocs is undesirable, and there is always a tendency of cracking orbreaking of the overshoes at the joints, which objection is eliminatedby the present invention. j

WVith these and other objects in View which will hereinafter appear, ourinvention includes the novel process of manufacture hereinafterdescribed and particularly defined by the appended claims.

To facilitate anunderstanding of our invention wehave appended heretodrawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the upper blank.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the fillerblank.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a section of the binding strip.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the sole and heel strap blank and Fig. 5 is asimilar view of the toe cap.

Fig. 6 is'a side elevation of the assembled parts in place upon a last.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the foot-hold removed from the last, and

Fig. 8 is a transverse section looking towards the toe.

In making up .a foot-hold according to our present invention we use butfive parts of pieces as shown in the figures of Sheet 1 of the drawings.

The part 1 is of elastic fabric coated with rubber gum and may be cut tothe desired shape, such as shown for example in Fig. l, by a cuttingdie, the shape being such that when its edges 1 are joined in a suitablemanner a pocketed construction, so to speak, is formed, which is thendrawn upon a last 6, the seam formed by the joined edges lying centrallyof the bottom of the last.

than that indicated in Figures 7 and 8.

The portions of the upper whichextend underneath the bottom of the lastconstitute in effect an inner sole, to which is applied the filler,indicated at 2, the filler adhering to the unvulcanized rubber surfaceso that no cement is necessary.

From a sheet of stock, run on an engraved calender roll to give tov oneside a beaded or otherwise suitably configured surface, we cut, by asuitable die, a blank of the shape shown in Fig. a, having a frontportion 4: conforming to the sole of the last and having a widened outrear portion a provided with a central opening 4. The portion of theblank around this opening constitutes the back orheel strap which 1sdesignated at 4;, (Figs. 6 and '7'), the edges of which are preferablyfolded or curled over as indicated at d to give a finished effect. Ifpreferred, the calender roll can be so engraved that a bead will beformed at the edges of the strip thereby avoiding the necessity offolding or curling over the edges.

The toe cap is next applied as at 5 in Figures 6 and 7.

The smooth side of the sole applied to the bottom of the last andpressed firmly against the filler andupper, the edge of the sole beingpreferably carried slightly up over the sides, as shown, and the strapportion stretched or carried up over the heel portion of the last inproper position.

Tl'iereafter the binding strip applied as indicated at 8, and the shoeisvarnished and vulcanized in the usual manner. I

By reducing the number of parts we not only effect a saving inmerchandise cost and reduce the number of labor operations in buildingup the shoe as will be apparent from the foregoing but effect acorrespondindicated tures.

ing reduction in the preparatory manufacturing processes, which effectsa material saving in labor. I

Furthermore, the shoe produced. byoui process is free from the jointsand sharp corners at the edges of the sole'and is stretchable therebyenabling us to eliminate half sizes and widths and yet secure effectivefits.

VVhile we have selected a foot-hold as a convenient and desirableembodiment of our invention it should be understood that, in its broaderaspects, it is not limited to this type of shoe, being applicable to anytype of rubber footwear, and where inthis specification, we use the termrubber shoe it is to be understood as inclusive of any article offootwear composed of fabric and rubber compounds. i

Having thus described our invention What we claim is 1. Thehereindescribed method of manufacturing rubber footwear of the foot-hold typewhich comprises shaping a sheet of rubber coated fabric to form upperand-sole portions, stitching together the edgesof Said sole portions,applying the article so formed to a last, applying to the sole portion asole having an integral heel band, and stretching said band over theheel of the last.

, 2. The herein described method of making rubber footwear of thefoot-hold type which comprises applying to the front portion of a lastrubber coated fabric'to form the front portion of the shoe, subsequentlyapplying to the sole portion a sole layer having an integral band, andthereafter stretching the band over the heel of the last.

3. The herein described method of making rubber footwear of thefoot-hold type which comprises stretching over the front portion of alast a pocket or bag-shaped pertion of elastic fabric coated with rubberportion, and thereafter stretching said loop or band portion over theheel of the last.

In testimony whereof, we our ALFRED enema. rnnononis n in. riirrirrnJOHN J. GAUGHAN.

